Port Vale striker reflects on 3-2 defeat to Burton Albion at Vale Park.

• Jamie Proctor | “We gave it a go but performance nowhere near where it has been”
• Port Vale striker speaks after scoring in his side’s 3-2 defeat to Burton Albion in League One
• Proctor: “You will get games like today – we have had a few of them over the season – and you will get them, but I reckon we have bounced back straight after most times. I think the character in the dressing room is that we believe we can do that.”

Port Vale striker Jamie Proctor said his side will digest Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Burton Albion and look to put it right next weekend, following a disappointing performance at Vale Park on Saturday.

The striker, who turns 31 next weekend, said his side should have kicked on following an early goal from Ellis Harrison, though in the end Darrell Clarke’s men couldn’t salvage a point, despite Proctor’s first Vale Park goal of the campaign.

“I think after the way we started the game, you think we can kick on now and we have been saying for weeks about the good football we have been playing and that we could win by three, four or five. It felt like that after going 1-0 up early doors but for some reason we took our foot off it and the game was out of sight before long.

“We gave it a go but ultimately the performance was nowhere near where it has been in the last few weeks.

“It just seemed a little bit flat at times, but I also felt we had control at times. We went out with a gameplan and that can change for better or for worse when you go 1-0 up nice and early.

“I can’t put my finger on why the performance was what it was, but we will bounce back as we always do.”

The Valiants have responded from setbacks throughout the 2022/23 campaign and Proctor said that the message will be the same from the dressing room.

“I think we can always learn,” he added. “We are good at this club – win, lose or draw – at going over the performance and looking at what we did well, what we didn’t do so well and we will do the exact same again.

“I don’t think you can get too high when you win and I don’t think there will be any overreactions today to the defeat. Everyone is disappointed as the result and performance is not good enough; we know that, the staff know that and the supporters can see that as well.

“We will look at it and look to put it right next week. I think the main thing is no overreactions based on what was a bad performance.”

Proctor’s goal was his first home strike of the campaign as he came off the bench for the sixth consecutive League One match, with the striker adding he understands the importance of his role from the bench.

“We have got a squad for a reason,” he explained. “We have players on the bench who can make a difference. Whether you start or come on from the bench, your job is to make a difference and if that is ten or 15 minutes for me at the minute, then so be it.

“I feel brilliant and I can’t complain at all; I thought it would take me a little longer than it did to get up to speed but when I am training and playing, I feel brilliant so on a personal level I am happy to be back out there and contributing.”